Houston Rockets: 3 reasons not to retire James Harden’s jersey
By Luke Duffy
3. Time heals all
They say time heals all wounds, and that is mostly true. Which makes the timing of the announcement that Harden is getting his jersey retired a strange one. He hadn’t even closed the door behind him on the way out when the news broke. To date, Harden has only played 23 times for the Nets.
He also appeared eight times this season for the Rockets, and we will return to this point later. On reflection and with the passing of time, what Harden was able to accomplish with the Rockets will look even more impressive. He went up against an all-time great Golden State Warriors franchise, a dynasty, and if not for a Chris Paul hamstring injury, may have gotten the better of them.
That, and he reinvented the way basketball could be played in his own, unique way. Stephen Curry might get the plaudits for making the league more focused on 3-point shooting, but alongside former general manager Daryl Morey, it was Harden’s efficient way of scoring either at the basket, the foul line or from beyond the arc which gained plenty of admirers and copycats.
It may not have always been amazing to watch (or play with if you were Harden’s teammate), but it got results. Harden also left the organization with an MVP award, an All-Star appearance in every season he was a Rocket, including this one, and averages of 25.2 points, 6.5 assistants and a 3-point shooting percentage of 36.5 percent.
At his absolute peak, he averaged a ridiculous 34.3 points (2019-20), and 11.2 assists (2016-17). So much of what Harden was able to achieve with the Rockets, and which will put him in the Hall of Fame one day, should be celebrated. But not enough time has gone by for fans to forget how it ended, or the playoff flameouts that have been a factor in Harden’s career so far.